Reflection by interviewer:
Despite strong competition from South Korean entertainment companies, demand for Japanese cultural exports is still high in Asia. However, Japanese entertainment companies are experiencing difficulties in engaging its customers due to a lack of understanding of the needs of the market. My conversation with Linus Lim has taught me that Japanese companies need to adopt an open attitude towards consumer engagement by actively co-creating value with the consumer base through sharing product information and allowing consumers to freely exchange and create relevant content online to satisfy market needs. It is heartening to see that companies and individuals, such as Culture Japan and Linus Lim, have emerged to help to bridge this gap by improving the accessibility of Japanese cultural products for Asian fans. – By Steven Neo Say Bin